We are currently working on a major update to the research line pages. Some pages may be partly incorrect and/or incomplete.
Please check back soon. Thank you for your patience!

ESDiT Research Line

Wellbeing, Emotions & Health

This research line investigates how and to what extent Socially Disruptive Technologies (SDTs) have implications with regard to the human condition. More in particular, we focus on well-being, emotions and health in relation to SDTs. This research line contributes to program objective (1) to understand the disruptive effects of 21st century SDTs and (2) to understand conceptual disruption.

About ESDIT

In the ESDiT programme, we aim to innovate the ethics of technology so that we can critically evaluate and guide the development, introduction and use of current and future socially disruptive technologies. To pursue its aim, the ESDIT programme has nine research lines.

More info on ESDiT

Description of This Research Line

In this research line, we investigate how and to what extent socially disruptive technologies have implications with regard to humans, humanity and the human condition. Some SDTs will make an impact on our biological and mental make-up and our interactions with our social and material environment. Because of that, they are challenging basic aspects of human self-understanding and self-constitution, including notions like autonomy, sociality, corporality, mortality, and transcendence.

In this research line, we focus particularly on new biomedical and digital technologies. We work on the following clusters of questions.

In which ways and to what extent are the SDTs really disrupting the human condition and our self-understanding as human beings?
How do these disruptions challenge existing conceptualisations of ‘the human’, moral and anthropological theories, and corresponding legal frameworks?
Which ethical theories and normative frameworks are better equipped to provide normative guidance in responding to those challenges?

The ultimate goal is to develop new ethical frameworks that integrate theories from both ethics and philosophical anthropology. In doing so, we aim to make a substantial and new contribution to already ongoing philosophical discussions about the ‘human being’, ‘humanity’, and the human condition in relation to both technology and ethics.

Related Projects

Ethics of Data-Driven Mental Health Diagnostics [2021-2025]

PhD candidate: Anna van Oosterzee (a.m.vanoosterzee@uu.nl)

Daily supervisor: Dr. Sander Werkhoven (s.werkhoven@uu.nl)

Co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. Joel Anderson (j.h.anderson@uu.nl)

In collaboration with Leiden University, Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science

Dr. Anna Kononova (a.kononova@liacs.leidenuniv.nl) & Prof. Dr. Thomas Back (T.H.W.Baeck@liacs.leidenuniv.nl)

Project Description
As part of the Esdit research line on “The Human Condition,” this project addresses a complex and multi-faceted range of issues raised by recent and expected developments in machine learning and predictive data-driven analytics. Through the development of ever-more complex computational techniques to analyse large data sets, translational bioinformatics and other computational approaches increasingly enable medical researchers and clinicians to develop diagnostic approaches that are more fine-grained, personalized, and predictively accurate than those based on current categories of disease. Although “precision medicine” is relatively well established, parallel approaches in psychiatry are quite new. For the data scientists, research psychiatrists, and mental health professionals developing these approaches, these emerging technologies raise vexing ethical issues – issues that are also central to research in philosophy of psychiatry, disability studies, philosophy of science, data ethics, and philosophy of technology.

The aim of this PhD project is to investigate the following cluster of questions: What ethical concerns are raised by integrating data-driven analytics and translational bioinformatics into psychiatric diagnoses? What implications does the highly personalized character of these computational approaches have for reconceptualizing what is “normal” for human beings? How should these concerns shape these emerging technologies' regulation and ongoing design in this highly contested domain?

Empathy, communication technologies, and neurodiversity [2020-2024]

PhD candidate: Caroline Bollen (c.j.m.bollen@tudelft.nl)

Daily supervisor: Dr. Janna van Grunsven (J.B.vanGrunsven@tudelft.nl)

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Sabine Roeser (S.Roeser@tudelft.nl)

Project Description
Currently, there exists no robust account of empathy as technologically mediated. This is striking, since numerous empirical studies suggest that VR, Social Media Platforms, and other new digital technologies can undermine empathy or precisely extend its scope. One of our main research-questions is ‘how does empathy, qua concept, need to be reconsidered in light of these new digital technologies?’ The answer to this question not only has the potential to change current philosophical debates on the nature and scope of empathy, it is also needed to confront a practical-evaluative lacuna: empirical studies proclaim the empathy-promoting or distorting effects of various digital technologies, thereby seemingly validating or questioning their ethical and social (un)desirability. But since we lack a robust up-to-date philosophical account of empathy as technologically mediated, these assessments are founded on an unexamined notion of empathy. Furthermore, current understandings of the concept empathy often exclude autistic empathetic experiences. Recent knowledge from and acknowledgement of neurodivergent perspectives challenges the way empathy is conceptualized in research.

In this PhD project, a new concept of empathy is being developed that that is inclusive to autistic empathic experiences, and one that can be used to (normatively) reflect on the impact of technology on the way we relate to one another. This is being done on different levels: empathy as a concept in moral theory, empathy as mediated by communication technologies, and the specific case study of empathy as mediated by Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Technologies.

Related Publications

Dennis, Matthew; Annemans, Daan

Reimagining Digital Well-Being Technical Report

2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@techreport{Dennis2024,

title = {Reimagining Digital Well-Being},

author = {Matthew Dennis and Daan Annemans},

url = {https://www.esdit.nl/wp-content/uploads/Reimagining-Digital-Well-Being_REPORT.pdf, download report},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-06-03},

urldate = {2024-06-03},

abstract = {This report aims to offer insights into cutting-edge research on digital well-being. Many of these insights come from a 2-day academic-impact event, The Future of Digital Well-Being, hosted by a team of researchers working with the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) in February 2024.



Today, achieving and maintaining well-being in the face of online technologies is a multifaceted challenge that we believe requires using theoretical resources of different research disciplines. This report explores diverse perspectives on how digital well-being can be actively cultivated, while also emphasising the importance of considering individual differences, societal contexts, and nuanced cultural factors. We aim to offer a holistic view of the future of digital well-being, one that will inspire the next generation of designers of online tools, as well as policymakers who will regulate these tools.



We start by asking what digital well-being is – how we can best define a concept that is used by diverse stakeholders and researchers from many disciplines in various ways. To do this, we explore the classic ethical theories of well-being, showing how they can give us insights into how

the term digital well-being is currently deployed.



We then move to look at the existing strategies that have been proposed to actively cultivate digital well-being, exploring the business models that threaten digital well-being and the relative advantages of the digital and non-digital solutions that are currently proposed. On the one hand, digital tools – such as Apple’s Screen Time and app blockers such as Opal and Forest – integrate seamlessly with the digital lifestyles of users. They also create precise metrics for digital well-being, which facilitates their solutions to reduce screen time. On the other hand, non-digital solutions, including mindfulness practices, digital detoxes, and digital well-being coaching, offer a new set of tools to reconnect individuals to their natural rhythms and help to actively promote offline activities. 



We then move to discuss diversity and how various groups of users have strikingly different digital well-being needs. Embracing neurodiversity in digital well-being is crucial as it strongly impacts the users’ experience of online technologies. When designing for diversity, organisations and designers alike need to prioritise customization for people with physical disabilities, mitigate harmful content for users with mental well-being conditions, address gender stereotypes and online harassment, and be designed in ways that recognize the very real risks of online technologies.



This report closes by examining cultural differences. We believe that non-Western conceptions of well-being offer rich sources for enhancing digital well-being insofar as these traditions can inform and inspire the designers of future online technologies. We focus on East-Asian and South-Asian traditions, although in further work we recognise it would be useful to investigate conceptions of well-being that are influential in the Gulf region, Africa, and South America. Each of these areas have ethical frameworks that discuss well-being in depth as well as a rich cultural heritage.



In conclusion, this report’s insights underscore the imperative of recognizing diversity in digital well-being, both in terms of cultural contexts and disciplinary perspectives. It emphasises the need for culturally responsive design methodologies and the integration of non-Western philosophical perspectives into current digital well-being research. Embracing this diversity, we believe, offers the best chance to create digital environments that prioritise well-being for users and the societies they live in across the world. Ultimately, we believe that it is not only about designing better online products; it’s about shaping a digital landscape that promotes well-being and flourishing for everyone.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {techreport}

}

This report aims to offer insights into cutting-edge research on digital well-being. Many of these insights come from a 2-day academic-impact event, The Future of Digital Well-Being, hosted by a team of researchers working with the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) in February 2024.

Today, achieving and maintaining well-being in the face of online technologies is a multifaceted challenge that we believe requires using theoretical resources of different research disciplines. This report explores diverse perspectives on how digital well-being can be actively cultivated, while also emphasising the importance of considering individual differences, societal contexts, and nuanced cultural factors. We aim to offer a holistic view of the future of digital well-being, one that will inspire the next generation of designers of online tools, as well as policymakers who will regulate these tools.

We start by asking what digital well-being is – how we can best define a concept that is used by diverse stakeholders and researchers from many disciplines in various ways. To do this, we explore the classic ethical theories of well-being, showing how they can give us insights into how
the term digital well-being is currently deployed.

We then move to look at the existing strategies that have been proposed to actively cultivate digital well-being, exploring the business models that threaten digital well-being and the relative advantages of the digital and non-digital solutions that are currently proposed. On the one hand, digital tools – such as Apple’s Screen Time and app blockers such as Opal and Forest – integrate seamlessly with the digital lifestyles of users. They also create precise metrics for digital well-being, which facilitates their solutions to reduce screen time. On the other hand, non-digital solutions, including mindfulness practices, digital detoxes, and digital well-being coaching, offer a new set of tools to reconnect individuals to their natural rhythms and help to actively promote offline activities.

We then move to discuss diversity and how various groups of users have strikingly different digital well-being needs. Embracing neurodiversity in digital well-being is crucial as it strongly impacts the users’ experience of online technologies. When designing for diversity, organisations and designers alike need to prioritise customization for people with physical disabilities, mitigate harmful content for users with mental well-being conditions, address gender stereotypes and online harassment, and be designed in ways that recognize the very real risks of online technologies.

This report closes by examining cultural differences. We believe that non-Western conceptions of well-being offer rich sources for enhancing digital well-being insofar as these traditions can inform and inspire the designers of future online technologies. We focus on East-Asian and South-Asian traditions, although in further work we recognise it would be useful to investigate conceptions of well-being that are influential in the Gulf region, Africa, and South America. Each of these areas have ethical frameworks that discuss well-being in depth as well as a rich cultural heritage.

In conclusion, this report’s insights underscore the imperative of recognizing diversity in digital well-being, both in terms of cultural contexts and disciplinary perspectives. It emphasises the need for culturally responsive design methodologies and the integration of non-Western philosophical perspectives into current digital well-being research. Embracing this diversity, we believe, offers the best chance to create digital environments that prioritise well-being for users and the societies they live in across the world. Ultimately, we believe that it is not only about designing better online products; it’s about shaping a digital landscape that promotes well-being and flourishing for everyone.

Jansen, Sammie; Kamphorst, Bart A.; Mulder, Bob; van Kamp, Irene; Boekhold, Sandra; van den hazel, Peter; Verweij, Marcel

Ethics of early detection of disease risk factors: A scoping review Journal Article

In: BMC Medical Ethics, vol. 25, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{Jansen2024,

title = {Ethics of early detection of disease risk factors: A scoping review},

author = {Sammie Jansen and Bart A. Kamphorst and Bob Mulder and Irene van Kamp and Sandra Boekhold and Peter van den hazel and Marcel Verweij},

url = {https://www.esdit.nl/wp-content/uploads/s12910-024-01012-4.pdf},

doi = {10.1186/s12910-024-01012-4},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-03-05},

urldate = {2024-03-05},

journal = {BMC Medical Ethics},

volume = {25},

abstract = {Background: Scientific and technological advancements in mapping and understanding the interrelated pathways through which biological and environmental exposures affect disease development create new possibilities for detecting disease risk factors. Early detection of such risk factors may help prevent disease onset or moderate the disease course, thereby decreasing associated disease burden, morbidity, and mortality. However, the ethical implications of screening for disease risk factors are unclear and the current literature provides a fragmented and case-by-case picture.

Methods: To identify key ethical considerations arising from the early detection of disease risk factors, we performed a systematic scoping review. The Scopus, Embase, and Philosopher’s Index databases were searched for peer-reviewed, academic records, which were included if they were written in English or Dutch and concerned the ethics of (1) early detection of (2) disease risk factors for (3) disease caused by environmental factors or gene-environment interactions. All records were reviewed independently by at least two researchers.

Results: After screening 2034 titles and abstracts, and 112 full papers, 55 articles were included in the thematic synthesis of the results. We identified eight common ethical themes: (1) Reliability and uncertainty in early detection, (2) autonomy, (3) privacy, (4) beneficence and non-maleficence, (5) downstream burdens on others, (6) responsibility, (7) justice, and (8) medicalization and conceptual disruption. We identified several gaps in the literature, including a relative scarcity of research on ethical considerations associated with environmental preventive health interventions, a dearth of practical suggestions on how to address expressed concerns about overestimating health capacities, and a lack of insights into preventing undue attribution of health responsibility to individuals.

Conclusions: The ethical concerns arising with the early detection of risk factors are often interrelated and complex. Comprehensive ethical analyses are needed that are better embedded in normative frameworks and also assess and weigh the expected benefits of early risk factor detection. Such research is necessary for developing and implementing responsible and fair preventive health policies.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

Background: Scientific and technological advancements in mapping and understanding the interrelated pathways through which biological and environmental exposures affect disease development create new possibilities for detecting disease risk factors. Early detection of such risk factors may help prevent disease onset or moderate the disease course, thereby decreasing associated disease burden, morbidity, and mortality. However, the ethical implications of screening for disease risk factors are unclear and the current literature provides a fragmented and case-by-case picture.
Methods: To identify key ethical considerations arising from the early detection of disease risk factors, we performed a systematic scoping review. The Scopus, Embase, and Philosopher’s Index databases were searched for peer-reviewed, academic records, which were included if they were written in English or Dutch and concerned the ethics of (1) early detection of (2) disease risk factors for (3) disease caused by environmental factors or gene-environment interactions. All records were reviewed independently by at least two researchers.
Results: After screening 2034 titles and abstracts, and 112 full papers, 55 articles were included in the thematic synthesis of the results. We identified eight common ethical themes: (1) Reliability and uncertainty in early detection, (2) autonomy, (3) privacy, (4) beneficence and non-maleficence, (5) downstream burdens on others, (6) responsibility, (7) justice, and (8) medicalization and conceptual disruption. We identified several gaps in the literature, including a relative scarcity of research on ethical considerations associated with environmental preventive health interventions, a dearth of practical suggestions on how to address expressed concerns about overestimating health capacities, and a lack of insights into preventing undue attribution of health responsibility to individuals.
Conclusions: The ethical concerns arising with the early detection of risk factors are often interrelated and complex. Comprehensive ethical analyses are needed that are better embedded in normative frameworks and also assess and weigh the expected benefits of early risk factor detection. Such research is necessary for developing and implementing responsible and fair preventive health policies.

Kamphorst, Bart; Anderson, Joel

E-coaching systems and social justice: ethical concerns about inequality, coercion, and stigmatization Journal Article

In: AI and Ethics, pp. 1-10, 2024.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Puzio, Anna

Robot, let us pray! Can and should robots have religious functions? An ethical exploration of religious robots Journal Article

In: AI & Society, 2023, ISBN: 1435-5655.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

More publications

Related Events

Workshop “Technologies of Prospection”

Date: November 6, 2024

Time: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Location: The Green House, Utrecht (3 min walk from Utrecht Centraal)

Academic event | All research lines | ESDIT event by invitation only

This workshop is only accessible for ESDiT fellows.

ESDiT & 4TU Ethics Conference Rethinking Ethics – Reimagining Technology

Start date: October 2, 2024

End date: October 4, 2024

All-day event

Location: University of Twente

Registration

Academic event | All research lines | Public ESDIT event

Join us at the Conference Rethinking Ethics – Reimagining Technology on 2-4 October 2024 at the University of Twente! Co-organized by ESDiT and 4TU Ethics (Centre for Ethics and Technology), the Conference aims to investigate what philosophy and ethics of technology mean today. It will gather scholars working on the philosophy and ethics of technology […]

More events